Funding

Funding for Student Travel Related to Scientific Research

We allow students to pre-apply for travel funds up to $500 with any one student being allowed to apply once per year. The president, in consultation with the executive committee, of our local chapter will evaluate these applications. In general, we will be able to provide funding to one to three students per year from each of our member departments.

Students are eligible if,

they are attending a meeting where they are presenting research results*, or

they are traveling to take part in a research collaboration, obtain data, or otherwise do research during the school year, and they have already applied for travel money from at least one other source.

Before You Travel

Download the travel application [pdf]. Note that they require the signature of a faculty research sponsor. Please submit a paper copy of your application. Completed applications may be submitted to chapter president Professor Rachel Merz in Biology (Martin 125) at any time. No funds are transferred at this point -- the application is merely to get "pre-approved" for an eventual reimbursement. Note that there is a limit to how much money can be given to any single department; if several students from a single department apply for funding in same semester, the actual amount disbursed might be less than the full $500.

After You Travel

Fill out a travel reimbursement form [pdf] and send it--along with receipts--via campus mail to Rachel Merz, Biology (Martin 125). She will sign it to authorize the reimbursement. Fill out the dates, descriptions, and dollar amounts and then sign the form in the lower left. Professor Merz will provide the authorizing signature, fill in the fund number, and submit the form to the business office. You'll receive a check from the college within two weeks or so.

*applicants are normally expected to be presenting their work in order to get funds to travel to a meeting, but we will consider waiving this requirement on a case-by-case basis.

Funding for Summer Scientific Research

Our campus chapter has some limited funds available to support student research projects, consistent with Sigma Xi's goal of promoting student involvement in scientific research.

Because there is already a significant amount of funding available for student summer research projects with faculty on campus, we intend for our funding to support unusual, multi-disciplinary, and/or off-campus student research projects.

Sigma Xi uses the NSE divisional/HHMI procedure for reviewing and disbursing research stipends to students for summer projects. Any application submitted to the NSE Division/HHMI that is declined funding but is eligible for Sigma Xi funding will be automatically reviewed by Sigma Xi.

We anticipate making one or two summer research awards per year. These awards must be for the full amount, of $4350, per stipend.